https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02371-2
Regular Article
Sensitizer-free photoactivation of singlet oxygen induces glioma cell death
1
Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2
Medical Physics Research Center, Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3
Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
4
Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, Saratov Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBPPM RAS), Prospekt Entuziastov 13, 410049, Saratov, Russia
5
Department of Biology, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya Str. 83, 410012, Saratov, Russia
a
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b
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Received:
28
February
2026
Accepted:
30
April
2026
Published online:
15
May
2026
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising minimally invasive tool for the treatment of glioblastoma (GB). The current neurosurgical goal for patients with GB is a maximal safe resection of tumor. However, the limitation of PDT is the difficulty in distinguishing feasible tumor from normal adjacent brain cells during surgery at the tumor margin using conventional white-light microscopy. Also, photosensitizers (PSs) are expensive and cause prolonged sensitivity to light for patients. Therefore, there is strong interest in PDT of GB without PSs. Using C6 glioma cells co-cultured with the blood–brain barrier (BBB) model demonstrates that 1267 nm laser irradiation (47 J/cm2 during 2 min) causes suppression of glioma cells proliferation and its apoptosis-led death via producing a singlet oxygen (1O2) and modulation of the BBB permeability. Our results can enable a new PS-free phototherapy of brain tumors based on direct 1267 nm laser generation of 1O₂ in GB cells.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
